Improvement in detachable metal buttons



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS KIRK, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN DETACHABLE METAL BUTTONS.

Specification 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,958, dated November 8, 1864.

To @ZZ whom it iii/,ay concern:

Be it known that l, THOMAS KIRK, of lVaterbury, in the county of N ew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented .new and useful Improvements in Buttons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, cleaxyand exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whiclr- Figure 1 represents ,a button constructed after my im irovement, the operator being about to app y-the eye thereto. Fig. 2 is 'an enlarged back 1{ieW ot my button. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line u: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shov'rs the eye detached. Y

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consist-s Viu constructing a button so that the eye can be detached therefrom and againapplied thereto at pleasure,

being held in place in the button 'by spring-` ]ressure. The button here shown as an example of my invention is composed of an outer metallic case, a., which may be o rnamented in .any way desired, of -a back, g, of an inner plate, c, ot' a spring, d, and of an eye'e. The back g is slotted, as at b, to receive the arms i ot' the eye when it is aboutto be fastened in the body of the button. The back is also swaged at h h on opposite sides of, and at righi; angles with, the slot b, to form sockets for `the arms of the eye, when thelatter is se# c lred in place.

The spring d is in this instance .-madeof india-rubber, but it may. be of metal or ofany other elastic material that will hold the eye upto its place. The spring is coveredand protected by a plate, c, Qt' circular form. (Represented in Fig. 2 by a dotted outline.) The button is to be held in theposition shown in Fig. 1 with one hand, while with the other hand the arms of the-eye e arevpressed in the slot against the plate c until the' elasticity of the spring Vis overcome, when the eye is quickly .turned over thesnrface of the plate until its arms articulate with the sockets h, when it is released. The spring immediately pushes the plate hack against the back g, holding the arms of the eye locked in their sockets.

This mode of construction enables one to remove the buttons from a garment to clean the' buttons or the garment without injury to. either.

.This principle ot' construction is applicable to buttons covered with cloth, as well as those for military and naval uniforms, and for those used upon ladies garments for use or orna ment.

The eye being sewed onto the cloth, or otherwise attached thereto, the body ot' the button canl be detached and a new set ot a di'ery rant pattern 'substituted Without difficulty. The plate c is here used forV protecting the rubber spring from injury by contact with the eye e.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Let'- ters Patent-. v

A button with a detachable'eye, which is held to the button by pressurefrom within the button, substantially as above described.

THOMAS KIRK. Witnesses:

SAMUEL GnnnEs, HENRY KIRK, Jr.,

',S. W. KELLOGG. 

